Huntsville gazette., 1887-07-02

Wnere could you nave put IL, SO nODOuy
could find itP OF course you can't tell
though, till after the Fourth, and mean.
time you've got to say you don't know.
1t can't be easy to say it the way you
do, but it's your duty as trustee"
Then he grew as red in the face as
Joe Slocum, and acted as if he was try.
ing to swallow something.
There never was so long day as
that third day of July. The sun seemed
to have about made up his mind not to
60 down, but he gave it up at last, and
there was an uncommon multiplicity Of
saying: There. now, it II be dark
pretty soon. Don't I wish it was now?"
There was a great deal said about the
cannon by the older inhabitants that
evening. and most of them were glad
that the trustees had succeeded in hid
ing it away from the boys this time,
and that there would be quieter night
in consequence.
So the hours went by, with some fire.
crackers and bonfire on the green,
till is was about eleven o'clock, and
everybody said that the village was un.
usually still for such time. Beyond
doubt it was SO, and it was growing
stiller all of sudden. in spite of the
fact that there was sort of procession
going down the main street and out to-
ward Riggs mill-pond. with team OF
horses and log chain. Joe Slocum
and two more were already down at
the pond. They had boat, and were
in swimming. late as it was, and
seemed to be graphing on the bottom
for something with garden rake.
"Got it. Joer'
"Have you? Rope9 Hurry! They're
a-coming. We're all right"
The horses were needed. and so were
the boys, to pull that six-pounder out
of the mill-pond; but the thing was
done, and then the procession formed
again. Nevertheless the village was
wonderfully still until twelve O clock.
Not fire-cracker went off, for
some reason. In the last five minutes
or so before midnight the bonfire on
the green. which had been permitted
to almost burn out, began to blaze up
furiously with pine-wood shavings,
and all the boys of the village were
around it, and most of them were hard
at work.
Got her sponged?"
''She's all right. Shove in the cart
ridge. Ram her DOWN.
Shall prime her now?''
"Yes. Now, boys, stand off. Keep
away. there, all of your
Bang! And all the older people of
the village of Homer suddenly sat up
in bed and remarked: II declare! If
that isn't the cannon! The boys found
it in spite of the trustees"
Bang! bang!! bang!!! went that ar
tillery.
The young cannoneers were working
with royal good will, and before a
single trustee could dress himself and
get to the green they had used up
good part of their ammunition. The
first one to come was Deacon Petit
grew, and he only took a look, to make
sure it was the cannon may be, and
then went off to gather the others. By
the time he had reused and consulted
with the board the powder was all
gone. and Joe Slocum shouted:
Now, boys, cut for home. Don't
let 'em find one of us here"
"Hurrah! Hurrah for the Fourth of
July! Tiger-r-rr' shouted some fellow
out in the dark, and they all did it.
The bonfire was blazing up prodig-
iously when the board of trustees
reached the green. 1t was redder in
the face than even they were.
There said Uncle Jed there's
the cannon"
"But where are the boys? Where
has it been all this time? Where"
Deacon Pettigrew was good man,
and he had to stop right there and con-
troll his feelings. So he had to the
next day, a good many times, and es-
pecially when old Mrs. Waterbury said
to him:
so the boys was too much for We.
Some on ye must have talked it out.
Men can't keep a secret. Hid it in the
pond, did ye? Well, it was a good
place, if you'd only have kept still
about it and not let the boys know"
There was one hundred and twenty
eight fellows-may be one hundred and
twenty y-nine-ready to tell the story on
the Fourth of July, but somehow an
went abroad. and became
established history, that the key of the
cannon-house was turned over to the
boys by Deacon Pettigrew, and that he
advised them about using the mill-pond
for hiding-place.
Nevertheless, this is the truth of the
matter, and there is sure to be some
truth at the bottom of any history, if
men would only take the trouble to find
it out and tell WSlIiGna o. Stodddrd,
in Harper's Young People.
A Point to Observe.